Container with corner grips

ABSTRACT

The invention provides a container for containing pourable materials, said container including a container body having at least one wall, the wall extending from an end panel; the container body having an at least partially engirdling portion, and the engirdling portion forms at least one grip.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to consumer-convenient containers for containing pourable materials.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are many examples of molded or extruded containers with lids. The molding or extruding processes are well known in the art. The containers made by these processes include buckets, pool chemical containers, and other types of containers.

BRIEF STATEMENT ON THE RELATED ART

Recently, some containers have been patented in which containers with lids focus principally on the engagement, or locking, of the lids to the containers; or, emphasizing the nesting or stackability of such containers. Examples of these types of containers include Dubois et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,964,372, Nask et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,896,993, Morris, Sr., U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,858, Andress et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,356,026, Jochem et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,310,074, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

However, none of these prior references addresses the need for consumer-convenient containers which guide the consumer for the most effective ways to urge these containers from a display, storage, or point-of-sale location. The containers preferably contain particulate materials, such as animal litters, or other sorbent materials, although liquids, and other pourable materials are within this invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION AND OBJECTS

The present invention provides:

-   -   A container for containing pourable materials, said container         comprising:     -   A container body having at least one wall, said wall extending         from an end panel;     -   said container body having an at least partially girdling         portion, said girdling portion forming at least one grip.

In one embodiment, the invention is directed to a container for pourable materials, preferable, particulate animal litter, although other pourable materials, including liquids, semi-solids, and unitary materials, are very appropriately contained by the invention.

In another embodiment, the invention is directed to a container for containing pourable materials, wherein a container body having at least one wall depending from an end panel, and an exterior, encircling portion attached to said container body, said exterior portion having an upper edge and a lower edge, said upper edge being attached to said container body, said lower edge being recessed from said container body and said lower edge forming at least one hand grip.

In a further embodiment, the invention is directed to a consumer-convenient container for containing pourable materials, said container comprising:

-   -   (a) A container body having at least one wall, said wall         depending from an end panel; and     -   (b) A depending grip portion extending from said container body,         said grip portion being positioned such that a consumer is         guided to urge said container from a display, storage, or         point-of-sale location, by manipulating said grip portion.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a consumer convenient container for containing pourable materials.

It is another object of this invention to provide a container with convenient gripping surfaces.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a container in which a purchaser, consumer, store employee, stocker, or common carrier, is guided by the location of the gripping surfaces on the container to most conveniently pull, push, or otherwise urge, the container in a manner or direction desirable to such person or persons.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a series of the inventive containers displayed in rows of commercial store shelves.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one inventive container with a mating lid.

FIG. 3 is a front, elevational view of the inventive container of FIG. 2, the side opposite thereof being a mirror image, and the bail being swung to the left.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the inventive container of FIG. 3, with the bail rotated to the side opposite.

FIG. 5 is a view partially in section of the inventive container with a mating lid.

FIG. 6 is a view partially in section of another inventive container with similarly mating lid.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the inventive container of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a bottom elevational view of the inventive container of FIG. 5.

FIG. 9 is a bottom elevational view of the inventive container of FIG. 6.

FIG. 10 depicts a sequence in which a container is swung about an arc whose midpoint is from the aperture into which the lower ends of a bail are slotted.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

While there are many examples of containers in the related art, such containers fail to provide convenience to the purchaser, consumer, store employee, stocker, or common carrier (by which term is meant a shipper, mailer, driver, or other person or persons who deliver or transport these types of containers). Such convenience is manifested in the design of the inventive containers, which have a gripping surface, preferably, a hand grip, located in an area or a position on such containers such that the gripping surface actually guides the consumer, store employee, stocker or common carrier (referred to hereinafter, for convenience, as “person” or “persons”) to urge or move the containers in a direction most desirable to such persons. For example, if the container is displayed in a commercial setting, such as those containers depicted in FIG. 1, in the ordinary course of purchasing, the purchaser will grasp the gripping surface and pull, push, or otherwise urge the container 10 from the shelves A, B or C. The containers are of varying polygonal dimensions, various capacities or volumes, and carry various weights of pourable materials. By “pourable” is meant particulate materials, such as sorbent animal litters (for example, clay particles, vermiculite, cement, vegetative materials, and the like, such as described in Jenkins, U.S. Pat. No. 5,992,351, Maxwell et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,860,391, Tucker, U.S. Pat. No. 5,647,800, Jenkins et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,176,108, Stanislowski et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,183,655, Ratcliff et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,190, and Colborn et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,407,231, each of which is commonly assigned hereto and the disclosures of each being incorporated herein by reference), although these containers can contain liquids, semi-solids and other materials not thought of as being particulate solids. By varying polyhedral dimensions is meant to include, but not be limited to, cylindrical, rounded, oval, ovoid, triangular, quadrilateral (including parallelogram, trapezoidal, rectangular, squared, or other shapes with four sides), quintihedral, hexahedral, heptahedral, octahedral, etc., with limitations on dimensions premised primarily on how the container is manufactured. The volume or capacity of the container is a function of how large it is, the wall thickness of the container, and the material intended to be contained therein. The weight of the material is a function of how much material is contained, its density, and other, physical properties. In general, English weights and measures are referred to herein, for example, one embodiment refers to about under 10 to about 30 pounds (most preferably, about 28 pounds, and another embodiment refers to about greater than 30 pounds to 100 pounds (most preferably, about 35 or 40 pounds). While even greater weight-carrying capacity is possible, the physical strength of the average person or persons may be exceeded, mitigating the advantages conferred by the containers. Naturally, the invention is not limited to English weights and measures, but those dimensions are referred to herein for convenience purposes.

Turning now to FIG. 2, one of the preferred embodiments discloses one of the inventive containers 10. The container 10 is composed of container body 18, a lid 12, and, encircling the container body 12 is an edge 24, which will hereinafter be described in greater detail. A bail or wire (or material other than metal) handle 16 is provided for ease of carrying the container by a person. The container is generally composed of a thermoplastic, and produced by injection-molding, extrusion, or other ways known to those skilled in the art. The thermoplastic may be high or low density polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyester, polycarbonate, polyvinyl chloride, or any other plastic material known to the art. Other materials, such as plaster of paris, ceramic, metal, metal alloys, composite materials, are also possible. A design, such as a logo, shield or other device, may be added by the insertion of mold tools during the manufacturing process, and labels or other thin, identifying materials (such as card stock, stock-keeping units, “SKU's”, bar codes, trademarks, etc.) can either be co-molded, or post-added. Additionally, for ease of shipping, transporting or stocking, a thin film overlay or overwrap or stretch wrap(not shown) may be used for a plurality of these containers 10, which are commonly shipped on wooden or other type pallets.

FIGS. 3 and 4 depict side and front views of the inventive container 10. The bail 16 articulates or is fitted into slot or aperture 20, the bail 16 being post-added after the container is manufactured. The fit into slot 20 is such as to allow about greater than 180° of movement for the bail 16.

The bail 16 includes a preferably centered handle 22 which is preferably made of another, non-metal material which is selected for compression and weigh-bearing to afford comfort and further convenience to the person carrying the container 10. The edge 24 is now described in greater detail. As best depicted in FIGS. 5 and 6, the edge 24 (124 in FIG. 6, which is another embodiment of the container, referred to as 110; generally speaking, the counterpart of the reference numerals used to describe portions of FIG. 5 add the digit “1” or “2” or “3”, but otherwise are not limiting of the invention. Thus, if a portion of FIG. 5 is described, for example, lid 12, the counterpart feature on FIG. 6 is, of course, 112). Edge 24 can be an integral molded portion of the container body 18. This can be effected by the configuration of the mold cavity or the addition of mold tools (neither of which is depicted herein) Edge 24 can be thought of as an engirdling, encircling or annular portion having an upper edge 28 and a lower edge 30. The upper edge 28 is attached to the container body 18, while lower edge 30 is attached to upper edge 28, but, because of void or open space 32, forms a gripping surface 14. Preferably, this gripping surface 14 is on a corner of the engirdling portion 24, but the configuration of the gripping surface 14 is designed to maximize the areas in which the user can grip, preferably, with both hands. This gripping surface 14 naturally guides the user to pull, push or otherwise urge the container 10 towards him or her, sliding the container in a natural motion from its storage, display or point-of-sale location. Further, edge 24 can be considered a substantially full bumper grip which wraps around the full perimeter of container body 18. Such a grip allows the user to comfortably wrap her or his fingers under and around substantially any portion of lower edge 30. In addition, instructions in the form of arrows, signs (“grab here”) or other devices can easily help the user in how best to transport or carry the container 10, and how best to use the container and its pourable contents. Upper edge 28 and lower edge 30 can be buttressed by small bridging pieces 34, 34, which help strengthen this gripping surface 14 and prevent edge 24 from bowing or otherwise deforming. It is clear that edge 24, and, especially lower edge 30, should be separated from container body 18 in most places (excepting, of course, points of attachment) such that the user can conveniently grip edge 24 at just about any point along lower edge 30 in order to slide the container 10 from the display shelves A, B and/or C and towards him- or herself.

FIG. 7 is another embodiment of the invention, showing a more “rounded” appearance. This thus illustrates that the inventive container is not limited to a particular configuration. In fact, in this type of configuration, different post-added, or simultaneous manufacture, of labels and other directional or instructional films or webs may be possible.

FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate the bottom, or end panels, 60 and 160, respectively. FIG. 2 best depicts the depending wall 50. More than one wall is provided, although, in the case of a cylinder, one continuous wall depends from the bottom panel. Turning now to FIG. 10, handholds 26, 26, are further convenience devices. They are centered so that, in the ordinary course of use, the user removes the lid (12, which could be, but does not need to be, connected via a tear strip, not shown), and, grasping the bail 16 by the centered handle 22 with one hand, then using the other hand—likely by using the fingers thereof—to swing the container 10 in an arc such that the bottom of the container is upended, the top opening of the container is urged downward, and the pourable contents are at least partially poured into another receptacle, such as animal litter into a litter containment box, or pool chemicals into a swimming pool.

The invention is further illustrated by the claims which follow hereto, although variations which are within the scope of, or equivalents to, this invention, are also included. 

1. A container for containing pourable materials, said container comprising: A container body having at least one wall, said wall extending from an end panel, said container body having an at least partially girdling portion, said girdling portion forming at least one grip.
 2. The container of claim 1 wherein the container body is polyhedral.
 3. The container of claim 2 wherein the container body has at least four sides.
 4. The container of claim 2 wherein the container body has eight sides.
 5. The container of claim 4 wherein there are four major sides and four minor sides.
 6. The container of claim 5 wherein said minor sides form the corners of said container body.
 7. The container of claim 1 further comprising a lid.
 8. A container for containing pourable materials, wherein a container body having at least one wall depending from an end panel, and an exterior, encircling portion attached to said container body, said exterior, encircling portion having an upper edge and a lower edge, said upper edge being attached to said container body, said lower edge being recessed from said container body and said lower edge forming at least one hand grip.
 9. The container of claim 8 wherein said pourable materials are solid or liquid.
 10. The container of claim 9 wherein said solid materials include particulate, sorbent materials.
 11. The container of claim 10 wherein said particulate, sorbent materials include animal litters.
 12. The container of claim 8 wherein said hand grip is reinforced in at least one location of said exterior, encircling portion.
 13. A consumer-convenient container for containing pourable materials, said container comprising: (a) A container body having at least one wall, said wall depending from an end panel; and (b) At least one depending grip portion extending from said container body, said grip portion being positioned such that a consumer is guided to urge said container from a display, storage, or point-of-sale location, by manipulating said grip portion.
 14. The container of claim 13 wherein said grip portion comprises an upper edge and a lower edge.
 15. The container of claim 14 wherein the upper edge of said grip portion depends from said container body, while the lower edge is substantially free therefrom.
 16. The container of claim 14 wherein said grip portion is a hand grip.
 17. A kit for containing and using pourable materials, said kit comprising: (a) A container body having at least one wall, said wall depending from an end panel; (b) At least one depending grip portion extending from said container body, said grip portion being positioned such that a consumer is guided to urge said container from a display, storage, or point-of-sale location, by manipulating said grip portion; and (c) Instructions in how to achieve at least one of the following actions: (i) optimal pouring angle; (ii) moving said container from said location; or (iii) storage or stacking arrays.
 18. The kit of claim 17 wherein in (c), the action of (i) is achieved by means of a handhold in said end panel combined with a handle fitted into a slot in said grip portion. 